A Simple Thief
by son of wind
Summary: Sela daughter of Master Tigress and the Dragon Warrior. Rengi. An orphan and thief. What do these two have in common? Not much except that now they both go to the Lee Da Kung Fu Academy.


"Normal talk"

'_Thought' _

Chapter 1: A Diamond in the Rough… Very Rough

"GET BACK HERE YOU THIEF!" an angry stall owner yelled after a teenage fox.

'_Yeah right like that's going to work dumbass.'_ Rengi thought as he ran down the street with his stolen lunch. He jumped over a cart before running up a wall to the roof where he looked down to see that the city guards were unusually energetic to day. _'Guess they're getting tired of being shown up.'_ He thought. Two guards made it onto the roof to see a smiling Rengi waving at them. "Hi guys what took you so long?" Rengi said before turning and running across the roof tops. As he neared the edge he jumped to the next building landing in a roll. He quickly turned and ran to the next building and repeated the process.

'_I have to give them credit,'_ Rengi thought looking back to see the guards hot on his trail. '_They've gotten better.'_ He looked forward to see the main street, _'Too far to jump and no ropes or arches to run across but maybe…'_ Rengi thought as a smile crept onto his face. He ran strait for a flag pole that hung out over the street, using it like a springboard he jumped on the tip and let it fling him across the wide street, while doing a nice little flip in the process. When he landed he looked back to see the two guards with disbelieving looks on their faces.

"It's been fun guys, better luck next time." Rengi called out giving them a mock salute, just as he was turning around three more guards climbed onto the roof tops. "Oh come on are you fucking serous?" Rengi yelled as he started running again. He jumped through a window, startling the family that was inside. After flashing a charming smile and a wink at the cute teenage daughter Rengi exited through another window, dropping down to the streets below. He turned down an alley and watched as few guards that were still chasing him ran by. "Idiots" Rengi said taking a bite of the apple he just stole before walking down the alley, _'Though that was a little too close,'_ he thought_ 'Maybe it's time to move on, new town with new people that don't want to kill me or throw me in jail… I know Lee Da! Where the martial arts academy is, that's far enough away to not be recognized plus with the academy, there should be some underground fight clubs. That way I could earn some money and that way I could actually pay for food. Besides it's been a while since I kicked ass for a living, it should be fun.'_ Rengi smiled whistling a random tune as he started his way to Lee Da.

(Time Skip)

"I'm not going to wake her up. You wake her up." Jun, a Mountain Cat (like Mei Ling), whispered

"No way, I woke her up last time and I got punched in the face!" Zei, a Crane, whispered back

"So you want me to get hit instead?" Jun asked

"What? No! Of course not!" Zei said. As the two friends were talking they failed to notice that the person they were talking about had already woken up due to said talking.

Sela woke up to the sound of her friends voices. Her annoyance soon became amusement when she heard what they were talking about.

"Why don't you poke her with a stick?" Jun suggested

"You poke me with anything you're going through a wall." Sela, a white tiger, said with a playful growl, smiling at her friend's surprised faces. "And Zei the reason I punched you last time was because you jumped on me."

"Hey, not my fault you sleep like your dad." Zei pointed out. "But forget that we're almost there! We'll be landing at the docks in a few minutes and I know you want to be ready."

Sela lit up at the news that they would finally arrive at the kung fu academy in just a few more minutes. It had taken three days by land and two by boat to get here from the Jade Palace. "You bet! Now get out so I can change clothes." She said as she got out of bed. When the others left she walked over to her bag and pulled out her normal clothes. A blue sleeveless vest with silver leaf patterns and a red waist wrap and dark purple pants. On a normal tiger that had orange fur it might look odd but thanks to her dad the Dragon Warrior she had white fur, but thankfully still had the strips of a tiger, so she thought she looked cool.

When Sela was done she made her way above deck to her friends, Zei and Jun. Both were dressed in their everyday cloths. Zei had his hat that his father Master Crane gave him, as well as blue pants with the green waist wrap that his mother, Master Viper had given him before they left. Jun wore a green vest with golden flower petals, a black waist wrap and light brown pants.

"So you guys excited?" Sela asked walking up behind them.

"You kidding? Of course we are!" Zei said looking back at Sela. "I just can't believe you get to go now instead of waiting a year like us."

"I believe it. She worked her tail off." Jun said, talking about the extreme training her best friend went through so she could go to the academy the same year as her and Zei, who were a year older than her.

"Hey guys I can see the academy." Sela said snapping them back to the present.

"Wow" Jun said and the others just nodded. It wasn't the academy that they were paying attention to, they had grown up in the Jade Palace after all; it was all the people there. Or more impotently the other academy hopefuls like them. There were tons of potential students from all over hoping to get in to the academy.

"Tch, we've got this." Sela said turning to her friends while crossing her arms.

"Yeah you're right these guys don't stand a chance." Jun said though still feeling a little nervous.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's go show these guys what we got." Zei said as the boat docked. As the three friends walked towards the academy they all had one thought on their minds _'Lee Da Academy, here we come.'_

(Meanwhile)

Rengi walked down the crowded market street of Lee Da looking at the varied goods that the many stalls had to sell. He had arrived just a few days ago and to be completely honest he loved the little city. It wasn't as big as some other cities he'd been in, but big enough. He'd been lucky, on the way here he had ran into some bandits and after beating the crap out of them took all they had, which had been a lot. So the second he got into the city he bought himself some respectable clothes and ditched the old rags he had been in and took the rest and found a cheap room for rent. Now dressed in a red shirt with a black jacket that was open in the front, an orange waist wrap, and black pants he just walking lazily around looking for a gambling den or a fight club where he could start earning himself some extra cash.

"Mommy Mommy" a small bunny child cried. "Can I get some candy? Pllleease" Rengi smiled as he watched a kid beg his mom to get him some candy.

"No you already had some today if you eat anymore you'll spoil your dinner." The mother said

"Please mom I'll eat all my dinner promise." The kid said giving his mom the big sad puppy dog eyes.

'_Oh man this kid is good." _Rengi thought with a smile then the kid's lip started to quiver. '_That settles it if she doesn't get him the candy then I'll buy it for him just because his entertaining'_

"Oh ok" the mom said giving in. As the kid started to eat his candy (think of it like a big lollipop) a wolf shoved him out of the way knocking the candy to the ground where it broke in to pieces.

"Move it kid, out of my way." The wolf snarled.

Ok Rengi might be a thief, but picking on little kids was just wrong. So with a smile he stepped forward.

"Oh sorry sir." Rengi after he walked in to the wolf. The wolf grabbed him by the collar.

"Watch it punk, you better be glad that I have better things to do today then kick your ass." The wolf said before dropping Rengi and walking away. Rengi watched him go with a satisfied smirk as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a coin-purse, to be more specific the wolf's coin-purse that Rengi just pickpocketed. He turned to the kid, who had tears in his eyes.

"Hey now don't cry" Rengi said knelling down and placing a hand on the kids shoulder making him look up. "How about I buy you another one?" he asked making the boy smile.

"You don't have to do that." the boy's mother said

Rengi smiled at her. "It's no trouble ma'am." He said before paying for the candy.

"Now what do you say." The mother said to the boy.

"Thank you big brother." the kid said before licking the lollipop. As the pair walked away Rengi slipped the wolf's coin-purse into one of the bags that the mother was carrying.

(Time Skip: 2 hours later)

"Ha ha I win again!" Rengi cried as he laid down his cards before pulling a pile of coins towards him. For the past hour Rengi had been gambling in a back room den and winning more then he lost, much to the ire of the other players. "Well boys it's been fun but it's time for me to go." He said as he put his winnings in a bag before placing it inside his jacket.

"Now you can't just leave before you give us a chance to win our money back." A boar said who just happened to be the owner of the den who went by the name Butch.

"Sorry pal. I'm done." Rengi said as he was getting up before a thick wooden stick was placed on his shoulder (Think of it like a police baton) by a large ox.

"I insist" Butch said.

Rengi looked at the ground and sighed. "You really don't want to do this." He said in a bored tone.

"Oh I think I do" Butch said

"Well I tried" Rengi sighed before grabbing the stick and elbowing the ox in the stomach. He turned and kneed the ox in the crotch then slammed the wooden baton into the back of his head, knocking him out. Rengi tossed baton onto the table before calmly walking out and into the alley. As he was walking down the alley the door to the gambling den was slammed open and more than ten guys started running after him. Rengi turned to face them but then five of the city guards came around the corner to see what all the noise was about.

"THIEF!" the owner of the den yelled to the guards. "He stole my money and attacked one of me employees!" at that the guards joined the chase.

"Oh shit" Rengi said before turning and running away. He was sure he could take them but beating up city guards guaranteed you a top spot on their shit list. He ran out of the alley and looked around, noticing that a large group of people heading towards the kung fu academy. As quickly as he could he started running towards the academy, hoping to blend in with the crowd.

Sela stood with her friends watching as person after person tried and failed to retrieve the flag in the middle of the course. She and her friends were the only three to have passed so far (despite being the youngest by at least three years), though going through the training course at the Jade Palace for years made this seem like a walk in the park for them.

"You think anyone else will pass?" Zei asked as he watched another potential student fail by taking a log to the head that knocked him unconscious.

"Maybe" Jun said as the next person came up. "But I doubt it if everyone's at the level the rest have been. Ow that had to hurt." She said as a metal ball hit the guy that was currently in the course.  
>"I thought it would harder." Sela commented<p>

"Oh really? Well sorry to disappoint." An aged voice said from behind that made them jump. All three quickly turned around to see someone that they immediately recognized as the academy's headmaster. He was an old lynx with flowing robes and a cane, with a warm smile on his face.

"I'm sorry headmaster I meant no disrespect." Sela quickly apologized, with a bow.

"It's quite alright my dear." The headmaster replied with a small laugh. "Though keep in mind not everyone gets to train at the Jade Palace like you three."

"Of course headmaster." Sela said rising from the bow, blushing a little from embarrassment.

"So how is Shifu and the other masters of the Jade Palace?" The headmaster asked

"They are doing well. And Shifu said to say hello." Zei said

The headmaster smiled before looking back to the course. "Well that looks like that's the last of them." The headmaster said "Though I was hoping for at least one more new student." He sighed before they heard a commotion.

"CATCH THAT THIEF!" someone yelled. They all looked to see a group of people pushing their way through the crowd as they chased a teenage fox. Sela and her friends were about to join the chase but a cane halted them.

"Let's see what happens." The headmaster said as the supposed thief ran straight towards the training course.

(Two minutes earlier)

Rengi walked through the crowd at a slow calm pace moving along the side of the arena.

'_Looks like I lost them.'_ Rengi thought as he looked for a way to sneak out. He suddenly bumped in to somebody but when he looked at them to apologize he only had one thought in his head, '_Oh shit.'_

"Found you." Butch said with a grin before getting a fist to the face, knocking him flat. Unfortunately this drew a lot of attention.

"There he is!" a guard shouted

Rengi looked around for a way to escape until he saw some boxes stacked up against the wall making it easy to get over the fifteen foot wall, problem was it was on the other side of the training course. '_Well a problem for them.'_ Rengi thought with a smirk before running straight for the course.

Rengi ran for the training course with a few guards and some of that bustard Butch's goons. The second Rengi stepped into the course all sorts of traps and the like started up. Rengi slid under a log the swung down from above taking out three of his pursuers. He then did a front handspring, avoiding several spiked metal balls that took down a few more guys though not killing them (this was training course after all). Next were a bunch of wooden warriors (think of the ones at the Jade Palace). Rengi moved easily through warriors, blocking and dodging blows as if it were childes play.

"Wow" Jun said "He's doing just as good as you did Sela!" Said white tigress growling in annoyance.

"Indeed he is quite impressive." The headmaster said as Rengi dodged jets of fire. (Again like at the Jade Palace)

"Headmaster" someone said from behind as they whispered the rest in the headmaster's eye.

"Thank you Ju-long." The headmaster said with a smile.

As Rengi exited the training course he turned to his last three pursuers and smiled when he saw that none of them were city guards. He grabbed a punch and flipped the goon over his shoulder. He then kicked the next goon in the gut making him double over then delivered an elbow to the back of the head. Rengi then blocked two punches and a kick from the third goon before kicking him in the knee snapping it followed by a right hook to the side of the head. He turned to see the first goon he'd flipped getting up and quickly ran over and delivered a powerful stomp/kick to the recovering goons elbow earning a sick cracking sound and a cry of pain from the goon.

"Nicely done" a voice said from behind. Rengi turned getting in a fighting stance only to see an old lynx in flowing robes, leaning on a cane. "Though crude. What was the style you were using?" the headmaster asked

Rengi looked back to see that the city guards were having trouble pushing through the crowd so he had a minute or two. "Thank you I guess and as for my style it's my own I'm working to perfect." Rengi answered "But now I think it's time for me to go, nice talkin to ya gramps." He said attempting to walk by the old lynx only to be stopped by a cane pushing on his chest.

"But I wasn't done talking." The headmaster said. "Did you really steal from that man like you are being accused of?"

"No I won it and when I tried to leave he insisted that I stay, but I convinced him to let me leave." Rengi said with a smile.

"So what would you say if I said I could clear this all up?" the headmaster said returning the smile.

"I'd ask what's the catch?" Rengi said narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing much" the headmaster said "Just a little spar. If you win then you go on your marry way with an extra one hundred gold pieces. But if you fail to even hit me once then you have to join this academy."

Rengi thought over his options as he looked back at the approaching guards. "Fine I'll trust you… for now." he said

"That's all I ask." the headmaster said before stepping in front of Rengi. "EVERYONE STOP! He shouted in a commanding voice. To Rengi's surprise all the guards actually stopped. "Now why are you chasing this boy?" he demanded

A guard stepped forward "Headmaster Fu Yong that boy is a thief."

"Oh really? Says who?" the headmaster asked

"That would be me." Butch said stepping out of the crowd. "That boy attacked my employee's and stole my money and I want him arrested."

"Maybe it's you that should be arrested." The headmaster said "Captain Chang if you would, I believe this is the man you've looking for." he said as a large grey wolf walked out of the crowd followed by a group of city guards and the ox that Rengi had knocked out back at the gambling den.

"Yes he is." Captain Chang said as two guards placed hand cuffs on the surprised crime boss. "Butch you are being arrested for illegal gambling, extortion, theft, and numerous other crimes. Now get this trash out of my sight." He told the guards.

"Thank you for your assistance Captain Chang." The headmaster said with a bow.

"Any time Headmaster Fu Yong." Captain Chang said returning the bow. "Now as for the boy."

"Yes the boy, I believe my friend Master Ju-long can verify that the boy did not steal anything but was attacked when he tried to leave." The headmaster said earning a nod from the ox.

"Be that as it may he was still gambling and ran from my guards." Captain Chang said

"He did help in catching a criminal, how about letting him off with a warning plus he will return the money he won. So we can act like this never happened." The headmaster suggested

Captain Chang thought about it before nodding. "That could work. Ok this is how things are going to work the boy will return the money and will be placed on parole. Everything should be fine as long as he does not leave the village without my personal permission for the foreseeable future and comes to check in every few days."

"That is acceptable" the headmaster said

"Like hell it is!" Rengi growled before receiving a whack on the head from the headmaster's cane.

"Good, now good bye and I hope you have a good day headmaster Fu Yong." Captain Chang said with a bow before collecting the money and leaving with the other guards who had rounded up the rest of Butch's goons.

"Well now that that's over how about that spar." The headmaster said turning to Rengi.

"Headmaster are you crazy? He's a criminal you can't let him join the academy!" Sela said running up with the others.

"Don't worry beautiful all I have to do is land one hit on gramps and I win." Rengi said giving Sela a wink. "Now when the coin hit's the ground." He said to which the headmaster nodded.

Rengi flipped the coin in the air. The second it hit the ground Rengi rushed at the headmaster and throw a roundhouse kick to the head. The next thing Rengi knew he was laying on his back which hurt like hell.

"The fuck?" Rengi said confused as to what just happened. He got to his feet and looked at the headmaster who was standing in the same place as before.

"Well do you give up?" the headmaster asked

Rengi just charged at the old lynx again though being much more cautious. He tried a leg sweep only for the headmaster to flip over him. He then threw a bunch of lightning fast punches which the headmaster blocked with one hand.

"Not bad though I can tell that your style's not finished like you said." The headmaster said with a smile.

Rengi tried a kick to the head again only for the headmaster to block it and counter with his own roundhouse kick sending Rengi into a wall.

"Master Ju-long could you please show the new students to their rooms? Our young friend can retrieve his things when he wakes up." The headmaster said as he walked off with a smile on his face.

**Me: Alright! I'm done with chapter one! So tell me what you think and-**

**Rengi: Wow how the hell did I lose to some old guy!**

**Me: Rengi what the hell! How? When? Never mind just get out!**

**Rengi: Why?**

**Me: I said so!**

**Rengi: I say again why?**

**Me: Fuck it I don't have time for this just stay out of trouble.**

**Rengi: Whatever (walks to the refrigerator)**

**Me: Sorry about that. Well Review. Till next time. Rengi stop that's my expensive whisky!**


End file.
